Every week during the NFL regular season, we will track notable performances by NFL players who participated in the Collegiate Bowl. Here are the top performers from Week 1:

Frankie Luvu- New York Jets

After being called up from the practice squad on Saturday, Luvu ended up being one of the most vital rookies during the Jets’ season-opening 48-17 win over the Lions. Luvu played 50 percent of the Jets defensive snaps and made three tackles, including a shoelace stop. The 21-year-old Samoan out of Washington State appears ready to earn more playing time as the season wears on.

Genard Avery- Cleveland Browns

The linebacker out of Memphis played at an elite level in Week 1 against the Pittsburgh Steelers. With four tackles and a sack, Genard stepped up in the absence of Emmanuel Ogbah by adding another source of quarterback pressure. After an impressive performance, the Browns hope that his strong play will help them win their first game since 2016.

Will Dissly- Seattle Seahawks

In his NFL debut, Dissly finished the game as the Seahawks leading receive, catching four passes for 105 yards. The tight end snagged Seattle’s first touchdown of the day on a 15-yard pass from Russell Wilson. Head coach Pete Carroll was clearly impressed with Dissly, saying afterward, “Jeez, he was on fire. I was shouting, ‘Ditka!’ He looked like Mike Ditka out there.” Dissly seems to be fitting right in with the Seahawks offense and a top target for Wilson.

BY DAVID CHOUGH

Player Profile

Will Grier, QB, West Virginia

After a dominant showing the week before against SEC power Tennessee, when the senior signal caller passed for 429 yards and five touchdowns, Grier kept up the momentum this past weekend against Youngstown State and again put the nation on notice.

From the first drive, Grier picked up right where he left off in the opener, converting a third-and-short and a third-and-long in the same series to get the West Virginia offense going. An untimely interception ended that drive, but the mark of a good quarterback is a short-term memory. Right on cue, Grier led WVU on a scoring drive the next time they got the ball, displaying a soft touch on his short- and medium-range passes. It would be the first of two consecutive scoring drives that helped the Mountaineers build a two-score lead at the half.

From there, Grier came out guns blazing. He threw a beautiful deep ball to Gary Jennings for a touchdown to start the third quarter, and continued to attack the deep part of the field for the rest of the game. Youngstown State could not handle his arm strength, as he completed passes of 30 or more yards on three of the next four drives. Along the way, Grier spread the wealth, competing each of his three deep balls to a different receiver, which really opened up the passing game. His last play of the game was an appropriate one, hitting Dominique Maiden wide open in the end zone for 40 yards to put West Virginia up by 32.

In all, Grier completed an absurd 80.8 percent of his passes for 332 yards, and it felt as though he could’ve thrown for more if West Virginia had needed it. One key for quarterbacks is to not fall into trap games and take opposing teams lightly after a statement win. Knowing this, Grier made sure to keep his concentration high in bringing his A-game despite the perceived quality of the opponent. West Virginia will need Grier to continue on this warpath if it wants to make some noise in November and beyond.

Breakout Players

Emanuel Hall, WR, Missouri

The best wide receivers deliver greatness consistently, but Hall did it on a very precise level this week. After going off for 171 yards receiving against UT Martin, Hall displayed his uncanny ability to shake defenders with his combination of size and speed for another 171 yards receiving, this time against Wyoming.

Kelvin McKnight, WR, Samford

Their bid for a major upset may have fallen short, but Samford and especially McKnight showed plenty of heart in their hard-fought matchup against Florida State. McKnight consistently got open against the Seminoles’ secondary, using his footwork to turn catches into big plays with 14 catches for 215 yards and two scores.

Drew Eckels, QB, Western Kentucky

It was a rough day for Eckles and the Hilltoppers, as he was sacked six times in a loss to Maine. But Eckles still delivered with 347 yards and three touchdowns through the air, and even led his team down the field with under a minute to set up what would have been a game-tying field goal. His never-quit attitude will be a key asset for Western Kentucky down the line.

Josh Watson, LB, Colorado State

Colorado State hung on to beat Arkansas, and Watson’s tenacity played a huge part in upsetting this SEC foe. The senior’s ability to play sideline-to-sideline allowed him to play a part in 12 tackles and even get a pass deflection, as the Rams won 34-27.

For Immediate Release
August 28, 2018
Contact:Brandon Parker | Communications Manager
Brandon.parker@nflpa.com| 202-756-9160

CHUCK PAGANO, MIKE TICE NAMED HEAD COACHES OF NFLPA COLLEGIATE BOWL
Former NFL head coaches bring expertise to postseason all-star game in its eighth year

WASHINGTON, D.C. – A new set of head coaches will roam the sidelines for the eighth annual NFLPA Collegiate Bowl.

Chuck Pagano, who most recently spent five seasons as head coach of the Indianapolis Colts, brings his extensive NFL and collegiate football coaching experience to the game. His 16 years of at the NCAA level culminated in a stint with the University of Miami from 1995 to 2000, when he recruited and coached four first-round NFL draft picks as the defensive backs and special teams coach.

From there, Pagano took his defensive mastery to the pro level, where he worked with the Cleveland Browns, Oakland Raiders and Baltimore Ravens before taking the reins of the Colts. In five years, he guided the Colts to a 56-46 record and an appearance in the 2012 AFC Championship Game.

“It’s exciting to be a part of this great game and help this next class of athletes transition from college to the NFL,” said Pagano, who will lead the American Team at the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl.

Tice boasts a similar extensive background, highlighted by his four-year run as head coach of the Minnesota Vikings. Despite going undrafted as a quarterback out of the University of Maryland, Tice put together a 14-year NFL playing career at tight end for the Vikings, Seattle Seahawks, and Washington Redskins.

After serving as the tight ends and offensive line coach, he ascended up the ladder to be named head coach of the Vikings in 2002. Tice spent the 2006-2017 seasons as an assistant head coach for the Jacksonville Jaguars, offensive coordinator for the Chicago Bears and offensive line coach for the Atlanta Falcons and Oakland Raiders.

“I am thrilled to take part in the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl this coming January,” said Tice, who will coach the National Team. “I’m looking forward to working with these players in achieving their goal of playing professional football.”

The eighth annual postseason all-star game will be played on Saturday, January 19, 2019 at the historic Rose Bowl Stadium, once again bringing together the top draft-eligible players from colleges and conferences across the country.

For the latest news and updates on the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl, visit the game’s website at http://collegiate.nflpa.com/and follow @NFLPABowl on Twitter.

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About the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl:
Founded in 2012, the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl gives prospective players the best opportunity to showcase their talents to potential employers and fans. Nearly 200 scouts, player personnel staff, general managers and head coaches from all 32 NFL teams are expected be in attendance to watch live practices, conduct player interviews and review tape.

About the NFL Players Association:
The National Football League Players Association is the union for professional football players in the National Football League. Established in 1956, the NFLPA has a long history of assuring proper recognition and representation of players’ interests. The NFLPA has shown that it will do whatever is necessary to assure that the rights of players are protected—including ceasing to be a union, if necessary, as it did in 1989. In 1993, the NFLPA again was officially recognized as the union representing the players, and negotiated a landmark Collective Bargaining Agreement with the NFL. The current CBA will govern the sport through 2020. Learn more at www.nflpa.com.

RECRUITING STAFF ANNOUNCED FOR NFLPA COLLEGIATE BOWL
B.J. McNorton, Jim Monos & Pete Russell boast 40-plus years of scouting experience

New NFLPA Collegiate Bowl director of college recruiting Doug Whaley has finalized his team of scouts, just in time for the start of another exciting college football season.

The 2018-19 NFLPA Collegiate Bowl recruiting staff features:

Pete Russell, who is in fourth season with the NFLPA recruiting department and will be responsible for the West and Southwest regions. Russell spent 16 years working in the NFL as an area scout for the L.A./St. Louis Rams, Houston Texans and Carolina Panthers.

Jim Monos joins the Collegiate Bowl team as its Mid-Atlantic and Southeast region recruiter after serving as the director of player personnel for the Buffalo Bills from 2013-2017. Monos spent 16 years in the NFL, where he also served as a scout for the New Orleans Saints and Philadelphia Eagles.

B.J. McNorton is entering his fourth year as a football scout and will be responsible for the Midwest region. He previously spent two years with the Pittsburgh Steelers and one season with the Minnesota Vikings.

“The Collegiate Bowl has a history of securing commitments from some of the country’s best draft-eligible players,” Whaley said. “With the vast experience and strong background of our scouting team, I’m confident that we will continue that tradition. I can’t wait to hit the recruiting trail with these guys.”

Including Whaley, the recruiting staff boasts more than 60 years of scouting experience at the NFL and collegiate levels. Their relentless work has helped teams like the Pittsburgh Steelers, New Orleans Saints, St. Louis Rams and Philadelphia Eagles make Super Bowl runs.

Each Collegiate Bowl scout is responsible for a region, where they will travel to frequently evaluate players and build relationships while studying game film through a professional provider.

For more information about the Collegiate Bowl scouting department, please click here.

For Immediate Release
June 20, 2018
Contact: Brandon Parker | Communications Manager
Brandon.parker@nflpa.com | 202-756-9160

NFLPA NAMES DOUG WHALEY AS NEW DIRECTOR OF COLLEGE SCOUTING

Former Buffalo Bills GM will lead recruiting efforts for annual NFLPA Collegiate Bowl

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The NFL Players Association is proud to announce Doug Whaley as its new director of college scouting. Whaley will head up the recruitment, evaluation and selection process of top draft-eligible prospects for the annual NFLPA Collegiate Bowl.

“We are thrilled to have Doug join our team,” said Teri Smith, NFLPA Collegiate Bowl director and deputy managing director of the NFLPA. “His knowledge of the scouting landscape, along with his vast NFL résumé, will help continue the Collegiate Bowl’s growth and benefit the game’s participants as they learn the business of football.”

Whaley brings 22 years of NFL personnel experience to this role, including stints with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Seattle Seahawks and Buffalo Bills. The Pittsburgh native got his start in 1995 with the Steelers as an assistant in their personnel department. After serving as the East Coast area scout for the Seattle Seahawks for three years, Whaley re-joined the Steelers as their pro scouting coordinator, helping lead them to two Super Bowl wins during his 11-year tenure.

In 2010, Whaley was hired by the Buffalo Bills as their assistant general manager and pro personnel director. His strong leadership ability and wisdom led the Bills to promote him to the position of general manager, where he served from 2013-2017.

“I’m grateful to the NFLPA for entrusting me with this opportunity to work with a marquee collegiate showcase,” Whaley said. “We are an organization that will be with the players for their entire careers both on and off the field. I’m thrilled to serve in this capacity of introducing them to the union, our partners and the many great programs available to help them make the most of their experience.”

Whaley replaces Tony Softli, who stepped down following four successful years to take over as director of scouting for the Alliance of American Football.

Founded in 2012, the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl gives prospective players the best opportunity to showcase their talents to potential employers and fans. Nearly 200 scouts, player personnel staff, general managers and head coaches from all 32 NFL teams attend the annual all-star game to watch live practices, conduct player interviews and review tape.

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About the NFL Players Association:
The National Football League Players Association is the union for professional football players in the National Football League. Established in 1956, the NFLPA has a long history of assuring proper recognition and representation of players’ interests. The NFLPA has shown that it will do whatever is necessary to assure that the rights of players are protected—including ceasing to be a union, if necessary, as it did in 1989. In 1993, the NFLPA again was officially recognized as the union representing the players, and negotiated a landmark Collective Bargaining Agreement with the NFL. The current CBA will govern the sport through 2020. Learn more at www.nflpa.com.

April 30, 2018

Nineteen players from the 2018 Collegiate Bowl heard their name called over the weekend in Dallas during the NFL Draft.

Tarvarius Moore was the first taken off the board. The safety out of Southern Mississippi was drafted in the third round (95^th overall) by the San Francisco 49ers.

One round later, 2018 Collegiate Bowl MVP Troy Apke (Penn State) was selected by the Washington Redskins. The Penn State safety, whom NFLPA Collegiate Bowl National Team Coach Mike Martz called “the best player we’ve had,” recorded seven tackles, one forced fumble and a 56-yard interception return for a touchdown during the Jan. 20 contest for top draft-eligible prospects.

Moore and Apke were two of four Collegiate Bowl alum drafted in the first 150 picks. William Dissly, a tight end, went at No. 120 to Seattle and defensive end John Franklin-Myers went at No. 135 to the Los Angeles Rams.

Final Box Score Stat Sheet

In the weeks leading up the seventh annual NFLPA Collegiate Bowl on Jan. 20 at the Rose Bowl Stadium, we will profile 10 draft-eligible players who have committed to play in the prestigious all-star game. Today’s feature is on UCF defensive lineman Tony Guerad.

Central Florida’s rise from winless to undefeated (and arguable national champion) was brought to fruition by many big-name players and personalities on the team. But none of that would have been possible without athletes like Tony Guerad doing their absolute best to anchor the team’s performance week-in and week-out.

After a promising stint as a sophomore for the Black Knights during their infamous 0-11 run in 2015, Guerad reportedly wanted to leave the team after putting up only five tackles for a loss and two sacks. Luckily for UCF, he came back the following season and the benefits were almost immediate.

In a tightly contested game against Maryland, Guerad had two sacks and three tackles for a loss while routinely disrupting the offensive line. He followed that effort up with another 1.5 sacks against East Carolina before going the rest of the season without another quarterback takedown. However, it’d be wrong to quantify Guerad’s impact based on just his sacks.

UCF’s reputation as having a staunch defense grew with each week as he became more comfortable in the trenches. To wit, he finished with 12 total tackles in UCF’s penultimate game in 2016 against Tulane. His nonstop motor and constant upfield drive freed up his linebackers to clean up any runners who made it past the initial wave.

Guerad’s senior year coincided with UCF’s magical run this past season, and that is no coincidence. He had nine total tackles for loss on the year, along with numerous games where he continually pressured the quarterback and forced running backs to make poor decisions in the backfield. Though he did not have a game where he posted more than two TFLs, he had at least 0.5 tackle for loss in eight of the games UCF played.

He especially showed up for big games, including the rivalry matchup against USF, which saw him record 1.5 tackles for loss and 0.5 sack, doing his part to slow down the explosive Bulls offense. It worked well enough for the Black Knights to squeak by with a 49-42 victory.

Guerad again took center stage in UCF’s win over Auburn. He had another half a sack and 1.5 tackles for a loss, and the Tigers could not seem to get the ball moving when he stood in their path. At 6 feet 4 inches and listed at over 300 pounds, it was not easy to stop Guerad from where he wants to go. His willingness to work and do the dirty work endeared him to UCF fans, and will serve him well in his future.

-David Chough

In the weeks leading up the seventh annual NFLPA Collegiate Bowl on Jan. 20 at the Rose Bowl Stadium, we will profile 10 draft-eligible players who have committed to play in the prestigious all-star game. Today’s feature is on Central Michigan defensive back Amari Coleman.

Central Michigan might be known for its high-flying offense, but don’t sleep on the guys who make it work on the defensive end.

Amari Coleman was one such defender, and from his sophomore season on, his innate ability to seek out passes and break them up allowed the Chippewas to stay close in many games and eventually, rack up enough victories for them to play in a bowl game every year he started.

From the start, Coleman never let the big stage get to him. After getting most of his playing time as a freshman as the team’s top kick returner, he got his chance to play mainly cornerback the next season. The third game of his sophomore year saw him register his first interception — this after recording two passes defensed the week before.

Standing at 5 foot 11 and 188 pounds, Coleman is not afraid of lowering his shoulder and chipping in on a tackle. He had six tackles in four different games as a sophomore and managed a very impressive eight passes defensed in 2015 — though he never really had a chance to showcase his dangerous speed with the ball in his hands.

That was rectified immediately in his junior year, when he jumped on a pass in the first week of the season and took it 27 yards to the house against Presbyterian College. Three weeks later, he would have another pick-six, this time against Virginia as the college football sphere started to realize that throwing in his general vicinity was not a good idea. Yet for some reason, teams decided to still test his side of the football field, typically to no avail.

Against Ball State, his quick hands and shutdown coverage resulted in three passes broken up, and he had another two in a pivotal triple overtime win over Northern Illinois the following week. Perhaps the most impressive day he had his junior year was against Ohio, a game that CMU desperately needed to win to ensure they would finish at least with six wins on the year. Coleman responded with 8 tackles against the Bobcats; but more importantly, he batted away four passes that were headed his way, showing insane reflexes and instincts to make sure they couldn’t reach their intended targets. His 15 passes defensed on the year led the MAC, and landed him a place on the All-MAC First Team Defense.

Coleman didn’t put up as gaudy numbers in the first half of his final year, but that seemed to mostly be a product of offenses avoiding his side of the field on passing plays. Rhode Island didn’t heed that warning, however, and he snagged two interceptions as a result during a triple overtime victory.

The senior had his third pick of the season against Eastern Michigan and returned it 33 yards for a touchdown, displaying once again his impressive speed and body control. If that wasn’t enough, Coleman also showed a knack for making the right tackle at the right time, leading to four tackles for a loss, — an impressive stat for a cornerback.

Coleman’s quick hands, feet, and mind make him the ideal cover man in any scheme. And opposing MAC quarterbacks will surely breathe a little easier now that his time in the collegiate ranks is over.

-David Chough